If I come back from China 10 kilos heavier this is the man to blame. Some of the best soup dumplings ever. Proper procedure is to bite the top and drink the soup inside. Then eat the pastry and meat filling. Failure to drink the soup results in seriously sticky fingers. 5 dumplings for 10rmb ($1.30). Could not convey face frame so he did peace.

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Go with a Chinese. While i have not been in Shenzen, i have been in a few other cities in both northern and southern China. At least my Chinese fellows were well aware and not very sympathetic towards MSG and avoided places known for using it.

As a food chemistry geek I have a love hate relationship with msg. 99.9% of the time I don’t care and even stir it into my oil and garlic at hotpot. However sometimes you can tell it is used to cover up poor quality or off meats.then it is the most offensive combo ever. I use msg all the time as it is 100% natural and adds unami, but it has sinister uses too.

Yes, the MSG itself is not a problem for the human body.
It is sometimes used to improve the taste of meat or certain sea food, which can already be in an early state of decay, which you shouldn’t eat anymore. As China is no welfare state, Chinese are always concerned regarding the costs of medical treatment…

I got my very first soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai in Chinatown. Their original location is Flushing, so maybe that’s the place Crawford is referring to.http://www.joeshanghairestaurants.com/
I am definitely up for some a visit this Maker Faire.

“As a food chemistry geek I have a love hate relationship with msg. 99.9% of the time I don’t care and even stir it into my oil and garlic at hotpot.”

Another interesting fact about MSG, at-least in S.E. Asia (where I reside currently) is that often (most often?) it is (or isn’t?) derived from Pork by-products. I can’t speak much to this as I am currently not a “food chemistry geek”. (But I’m working on it.)

This was brought to my attention in Indonesia where there were Government and Islamic “Authorities” declaring that some MSG sources were derived from Pig products. This is not “Halal” in a strict Islamic country. (I am not Islam BTW). I remember fairly recentently (a year or so ago?) there was a big scandal about the Japanese company “Ajinomoto” selling and/or manufacturing MSG in Indonesia purportedly derived from pig products. If true, big no-no. But I’m working from memory (which is whiskey-soaked at the moment he-he).

Ian, continue your travels… In the eventual-end you will be able to honestly say you have “lived the lives of ten men”… You must do Africa at some point.